The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[Conn]

Thanks; I think there is real wisdom in what they are doing and wisdom in your post. We got dismantled by injuries and by a defensive coordinator who was a bit below level. With what we have left, and what is still out there in salary cap, I believe we will have a solid core for next year.

You misread, his post is dripping with sarcasm

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

I also agree with you about Wagner, great guy and appreciate what hes done the last two seasons but I can't stomach watching another year of him getting smoked by faster more athletic guys

Yes - that is why I thought they would get Edmunds instead of NYG. If you stand pat with the LB play they had last year? Act like you have a solution there?

Then you think your defensive coordinators were straight up trash last year.

 

[KDawg]

It's sort of like the Biadaz move. Some think they made a mistake and are better evaluators of that spot and what they have on the roster then they are. Are we? Maybe. So no sarcasim implied with the point. I don't know. Will see.

If they have a false believe in MaGee for example. Or have designs on the wrong LB in FA or the draft, its possible.

I know they can't sign every big FA. And granted they haven't yet, but did take some big swings. So they are willing to spend, clearly.

Are these guys, Quinn, Peters, Blough, and D. Jones as dumb or even dumber than the previous regime? Maybe.

For myself, I've seen enough good moves among the bad moves and Peters-Quinn came here with good reputations that I'll give them the benefit of the doubt this off season.

I did the same for Rivera until I saw enough and turned on him. And Rivera and their FO came with much more checkered reputations. If they bomb this off season, I'll turn on this regime, too. But for me, I'll let it play out. I try to give every regime 3 years before deciding. And year 1 was very good, especially FA. Year 2 oddly their drafting improved. Their FA signings were good too -- but it lacked ambition.

That's my key for this off season, what is the ambition level. After day 1, hard to tell yet. But not bad.

Dumb is the wrong word. Over hopeful, inexperienced, confident are better words. None of these guys are dumb.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I keep hearing that they are not spending on a TE so I have to believe that. I never wanted Pierce, I want a receiver who can consistently get open all over the field and make more than 48 catches. Doubs or Jennings have also been on my list but I'm sure there are others.

I have no idea what they are thinking regarding the interior OL, the LBs, the TEs and I'm taking a wait and see on the receivers as it's only been a day.

It's one of Standig versus Keim's disagreements. Not that they directly disagreed. But they have some points that conflict in their respective podcasts. And I like both. And heck I appreciate them taking a shot based on what they are hearing even if its ends up wrong.

Standig was first in pushing they had hot interest in Allegeir -- but then yesterday confirmed they had no interest. The other one where he was unique on is interest in Thornton. If they were interested, he signed elsewhere.

But their two big disagreements seem to be.

A. Standig thinks if they sign Aiyuk they are done at Wr aside from maybe a cheap other guy. Keim thought they might chase Pierce and if they landed him possiblly no Aiyuk. Otherwise he saw either Doubs, Jennings or Shaheed with Aiyuk.

B. Standig thinks they do nothing at TE or add a cheap flier. Keim thinks they like Oknonkwo and will sign him but not overpay -- and he adds the disclaimer he wasn't told what they won't overpay means.

 

[Conn]

That would’ve concerning.

Given Daronte’s intro presser he seemed to like our linebackers… which… kinda scary.

I always wonder what percentage of coaching interviews are “In addition to all that other stuff we talked about, I can also make magic happen with what you’ve already got in-house”. Obviously that’s almost THE top consideration anytime a franchise has a young QB they’ve bungled and need salvaged. So we can assume it applies elsewhere around the roster to a lesser degree. And even with a bad roster you do want a coach who can work with the talent they’re supplied. And that a candidate who lays out a detailed plan to turn lemons into lemonade with some existing talent will be looked upon kindly by people in the building who already believe in those players.

Kind of a flawed system because it’s partially necessary to be a good coach, obviously, but not all players can be salvaged. And it’s also partially ass-kissing if the people who acquired that talent are part of the decision-making process.

 

[MartinC]

So seems like we have needs/questions still at LG, C, RB1, TE1, WR2 - Edge (still for me), LB, CB and FS.

A lot still to do. A lot.

 

[Conn]

He was apparently a model citizen in NE

On the football field. He has some very serious allegations off of it that haven’t come to a head yet

 

[Conn]

Last year he was playing outside, he is better suited inside from what I've read.

We need an outside CB though, don't think Mikey is a fit outside.

So Sainristil is an immense bust, then. Not really a fit anywhere despite conceptually being talented. Which is a massive disappointment and mismanagement of resources after we traded down with a rival and took him

 

[skinsinparadise]

Dumb is the wrong word. Over hopeful, inexperienced, confident are better words. None of these guys are dumb.

If they do nothing at LB, it seems to be based on thinking MaGee is the guy. their draft room seemed the most hyped on that pick at the time. D. Jones cited him, too. I don't know if I know enough about whether they are right or not on him.

But in general, i am going to judge the totality of what they do. Sort of what I did with Rivera in his last off season, I waited for FA and the whole draft to unfold, and aftering taking that all in, i hated it.

For me following the rumors leading up to this, I never thought they were going to chase a big time LB, so mentally I was prepared for no Lloyd.

But don't get me wrong I'd love to have a LB, the dude I've been pushing is Chenal. But I got no idea what they will do at LB but at a minimum I don't have a strong sense of what they think about that spot. So will see what they do.

 

[method man]

Yes - that is why I thought they would get Edmunds instead of NYG. If you stand pat with the LB play they had last year? Act like you have a solution there?

Then you think your defensive coordinators were straight up trash last year.

Edmunds is good against the run but struggles against the pass. Should tell you something that the Bears cut him and replaced him with Devin Bush

 

[skinsinparadise]

So Sainristil is an immense bust, then. Not really a fit anywhere despite conceptually being talented. Which is a massive disappointment and mismanagement of resources after we traded down with a rival and took him

This defense seems a perfect fit for him. So will see how it plays out. Zone -- cover 3, cover 4, with eyes on the QB behind hopefully good pressure.

 

[BayouBrave86]

Yeah I feel confident Daronte will find a way to maximize Mikey in this defense. Use him like the Honey Badger. Playmakers make plays. He has a nose for the ball which is something you can’t teach. Just going to have to find the right match ups for him. Disguise , just him as a blitzer at the LOS occasionally. But Robertson is basically his twin so not sure why we need two of the same player..

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

Edmunds is good against the run but struggles against the pass. Should tell you something that the Bears cut him and replaced him with Devin Bush

Yes I understand now that Edmunds has some issues against the run. I think you said it backwards- he is good (maybe really good?) against the pass. He has some timely picks as far as I remember.

I just wanted a strong leader like Wagner and good against the pass. He got 8+ tackles per game last season. That’s a lot.

I am not an Edmunds zealot, but I wanted improvement at that spot. I think it’s going to hurt us if we don’t improve there. A glue spot; meaning the whole defense looks a bit shakier and more predictable without a smart LB there.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Jay Gruden on the Junkies, pumping up Love in the draft and thinks he's a great fit here. Really thinks they need a TE badly.

Interesting sort of hinted at a minimum they were torn between Vea and Payne in that draft, and then said Vea was taken before their pick, seemed to suggest they'd have taken Vea. They was a divisive debate on ES, I was on team Vea, good to hear that Vea was on their radar, I didn't get the Payne over Vea narrative.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

Yeah I feel confident Daronte will find a way to maximize Mikey in this defense. Use him like the Honey Badger. Playmakers make plays. He has a nose for the ball which is something you can’t teach. Just going to have to find the right match ups for him. Disguise , just him as a blitzer at the LOS occasionally. But Robertson is basically his twin so not sure why we need two of the same player..

Robertson seems better at press but could be wrong. Physically though I would have liked to not have another smaller CB.

 

[KDawg]

I have more confidence in our defense than our offense as it pertains to coaching (not because I think Blough is bad. But I do think he is inexperienced and has an inexperienced staff).

So I think they can get more with less.

I’m actually kind of interested in seeing Sainristil at safety. Not sure if that is on the table.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Sainristil for his struggles last year, has already 8 career picks and did so behind a crap D line, and also 2 picks in the post season.

Seems better outside than inside.

And it wouldn't surprise me if the scheme was part of the issue the last two years -- there have been some hints of it coming from Sainristil's fiance via social media, Lattimore, etc.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Giants, are active, and easily the team with the most off season swagger, the media jumping on their bandwagon, the Harbaugh ego, on and on will make it an insufferable off season.

 

[DogofWar1]

No offense to Standig but 1) I will trust Keim over basically everyone but the good Lord himself, and 2) I want Standig to be wrong so there's that.

 

[Conn]

This defense seems a perfect fit for him. So will see how it plays out. Zone -- cover 3, cover 4, with eyes on the QB behind hopefully good pressure.

I hope so. Going zone-heavy with him may be the move, it’s just concerning when it seems he’s not a natural in the position they want him to be—slot CB—and also lacks traits they want on the outside despite playing better there. Makes you wonder where his longterm home is and if he’s an every-down player who won’t be picked on